trêu
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Verb:
- To tease; to nettle: To deliberately provoke or annoy someone in a playful or mischievous manner, often by making jokes, playful remarks, or light-hearted actions intended to get a reaction, typically without serious malice.
Usage
- The verb trêu is used to describe the action of playfully provoking someone. It often implies a lighthearted, joking intent rather than a desire to cause serious upset. It can be used with direct objects (the person being teased).
- Common sentence patterns:
Ai đó trêu ai.(Someone teases someone.)Bị trêu.(To be teased.)Đừng trêu nữa!(Stop teasing!)
Usage Examples
- Verb:
- Anh ấy thích trêu em gái mình. (He likes to tease his younger sister.)
- Đừng trêu con mèo, nó sẽ cào đấy. (Don't tease the cat, it will scratch you.)
- Cô ấy hay bị bạn bè trêu vì tính nhút nhát. (She often gets teased by her friends for being shy.)
Advanced Usage
- "trêu chọc": This is a compound verb combining trêu and chọc, intensifying the meaning to "to tease," "to provoke," or "to needle." It can sometimes carry a slightly more persistent or annoying connotation than trêu alone.
- Họ thường trêu chọc anh ấy về kiểu tóc mới. (They often tease him about his new haircut.)
- "trêu ghẹo": Another compound verb similar to trêu chọc, meaning "to tease" or "to flirt playfully."
- Anh ta đang cố trêu ghẹo cô gái ngồi đối diện. (He is trying to flirt playfully with the girl sitting opposite.)
Variants and Related Words
- Chọc (verb): To poke, to provoke. Often used similarly to trêu but can imply a more direct or physical provocation. It is commonly combined with trêu.
- Chế nhạo (verb): To mock, to ridicule. This is stronger and more negative than trêu, implying scorn or derision.
- Đùa (verb): To joke, to kid. Đùa is broader and generally means to joke around. Trêu is a specific type of playful joking aimed at a person.
Synonyms
- Tease: (to make fun of or attempt to provoke in a playful way).
- Kid: (to tease or joke with someone in a friendly way).
- Rib: (to tease or make fun of someone good-naturedly).
Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)
Note: As trêu is a Vietnamese verb, it does not have English phrasal verbs. However, here are common English phrases equivalent to its usage. - To tease someone about something: Trêu ai về điều gì. - They teased him about his accent. (Họ trêu anh ấy về giọng nói của mình.) - To pull someone's leg: (Idiom) To tease someone in a friendly way by telling them something untrue. - I was just pulling your leg! (Tôi chỉ đang trêu bạn thôi!)
Related Idioms
- Trêu đến nước: To tease to the point of provoking a strong reaction.
- Anh ta trêu cô ấy đến nước phải bỏ đi. (He teased her to the point where she had to leave.)
- Trêu ngươi: To provoke defiantly or挑衅地挑逗; to taunt. This carries a stronger, more challenging connotation than simply trêu.
- Hành động đó như một sự trêu ngươi. (That action was like a taunt.)